advertising one's college

[aamcnamara]

My friend-prospie has been and departed. I dragged her up to the lake and all around the library (including my rare book room! So much shiny, by which I mean old and falling-apart books). I also dragged her to our room-choosing event, which I was not participating in but went to anyway in a show of moral support and which was probably more a test of endurance than anything else. For all of us, but especially her?

At any rate, I've figured out that my sales pitch for this college basically begins "Mount Holyoke: there are awesome geeky queer women". I have friends who aren't queer, and friends who aren't geeky, but all my friends are awesome; and a rather high number of them are all of the above.

(It continues, and possibly ends, "Also, we have a really nice library." Clearly these are all the important things in life.)

(Out of curiosity: readers of this LJ, do you try to get people to go to your college/the college you attended? What is your sales pitch, if so?)

This evening I finally got back to work on some of the continuous projects I've been ignoring, and figured out something fairly major that was wrong with one of my math papers. So: yay! I would be happier if I'd managed to write it up, too, but progress is progress and I can't complain about that.

Next week will kind of be hell--I have an essay, possibly two presentations but definitely at least one, a handful of math papers I really ought to turn in, as well as my regular readings et cetera. On the bright side, our physics lab time will be spent talking about relativity! And, of course, after that, there only will be half a week left of classes (during which I will do the other presentation if I don't do it next week, and turn in the rest of the math papers), and I only have two final exams. So probably I will survive that.

And then there is summer.

Comments

[actourdreams.livejournal.com]

You have such a nice library that I heard about it all the time, especially given that Smith's is designed like a bunker once you get off the main floor. :D

I tried to sway one of my friends (I say "tried" because she already had her heart set on Bryn Mawr, though she did apply to Smith and Mount Holyoke as well) primarily with Smith's open curriculum/self-designed major program, and our geeky/studious student body.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Smith's library is not very nice. If I remember correctly there's another nice room or so? But--I vastly prefer ours. (Also I am totally biased, but.)

Those are good traits!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You heard my Gustavus sales pitch, I think: "Are you thinking of a physics major? Are you thinking of other majors also? Well, I don't really know about the other majors. The physics department really rocks, if you're set on physics, but there are other departments I can't really speak for as well, and some I'd counterrecommend." I am unquestionably a Gustie. But if someone wanted me to categorize myself as an alumna of somewhere that really has my heart, it would not be Gustavus as a whole, it would be the Gustavus Physics Department.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh and also: I will say what I say about college: that pameladean promised me in Tam Lin that if I went to a small private Minnesota liberal arts college, there would be long-haired geeky men who quoted things at me, and though I did not yet know her then, I trusted that she would tell me the truth in something so important as that.

She did.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Tam Lin was definitely a big influence on my ideas of what College Should Be Like. Strangely enough, although there are no long-haired geeky men quoting things at me, I am satisfied with the experience so far anyway.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Well, you know, priorities varying and all.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

That makes a good deal of sense. The physics department here is good but maybe not phenomenal? But I like the college bunches and bunches, so I suppose that it all evens out somewhere.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

At your point in my college career, I liked my college bunches and bunches, too, and I hope you never have a natural disaster badly handled by the administration to make your opinion of yours a great deal more mixed.

Every time my college gets a new president, I think, "Well, maybe this one will head the administration that will actually understand what's good about Gustavus and help to maximize it." And then no. Just no.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's quite possible that something will happen over the next years to make me dislike, disrespect, and distrust the administration.

I guess when I say "my college" I mean more the community of students/faculty/staff/(administrators too) here? Which I do not have absolute and utter faith in either, but I like it and have at the least a good deal of faith in its goodwill.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Things get very complicated when the people in power in a situation are in conflict with the people who make that situation exist as itself in the first place. I probably have several more novels of working through what I think of that one.

[ckd]

Honestly, I'd warn people away from BU. The main draw for me was a hefty scholarship offer, combined with the location.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Those can indeed be very convincing.

[vcmw]

I enjoyed Carleton, and gave tours even. And hosted prospies a time or two. But I never was able to talk about it as an enticing place because I found it to be so stressful to be in college at all.

But the one thing I did tell people a lot was that for a top rated liberal arts college it was very non-competitive (between students) and was collaborative and respectful.

Hardly the most exciting endorsement, but there it is.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

That is certainly worth a good deal. I find the idea of 'competition' in academic settings kind of bewildering.

[aliseadae]

Most everyone is geeky here! It is great.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Yay! Geeky people are awesome.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Macalester: International, liberal, geeky, and full of smart kids.